Re: ConTeXt meeting 2022 – please register!

[Henning Hraban Ramm via ntg-context <ntg-context@ntg.nl>]

Hi JUH!

Am 04.08.22 um 08:48 schrieb juh+ntg-context--- via ntg-context:
> Am 03.08.22 um 10:50 schrieb Henning Hraban Ramm via ntg-context:
>> Taco convinced me not to cancel the meeting due to a lack of 
>> participants, but I’d like to know why you (esp. if you attended 
>> previous meetings) decided not to come:
> 
> short answer. The meeting is in the holidays of my wife and she expects 
> me to join her in a travel. ;-)

Well, the date seems to be untimely for several potential participants.
But we decided on it about two years ago (you must book houses at least 
one year in advance; maybe no more). But other dates deter other people...

> (In fact I don't found information about accommodations on the website)

On https://meeting.contextgarden.net/2022/location.shtml there’s a link 
to the venue’s website and the hint that we only single-book the bunk 
beds – i.e. it’s youth hostel style.

> 1. I wasn't sure if I can follow the programe. Though I am not a bloody 
> beginner, I am still at the basis of the learning curve. Many talks 
> seems to be way above my understanding. (The same is true for the 
> monthly video meetings.) But I am very interested in learning – I can 
> even imagine that my cooperative would pay for it.

Well, if no beginners attend, nobody will talk for beginners.

Yes, it’s often way over my head, esp. what Hans and Taco explain, but 
after the third time I start to understand ;)
It’s like when I started reading challenging computer magazines like c’t 
in the public library as a 12yo and didn’t understand a lot but found it 
cool enough to continue. YMMV

OTOH we always had talks about not-so-advanced projects, and what you 
did with ConTeXt for Hostsharing would be worth a talk or three. (Just 
repeat your blog entries.) You’d be welcome also as a remote presenter.

> 2. I always like to combine meetings with my passion to dance Tango. If 
> a meeting is in a bigger city, chances are high that I could spend a 
> couple of evenings in a local milonga. From Dreifelden to any milonga in 
> NRW or Hessen I would need at least an hour by car.

Sorry...

> Corona isn't over ...

Yes, of course. I worry about that, too; can’t afford to be sick for a 
week or more...

> On the other hand I would really like to get into ConTeXt as I am 
> convinced that it is the thing I need for my personal work and my work 
> in my cooperative. So I would still like to attend a meeting.

Well, you can start with the next online meetup in a week (August 10th).

While we often had in-depth discussions with Hans, or between Hans and 
Mikael, that was partly due to a lack of simpler questions.
And since we usually were only a few guys, there’s enough space for your 
personal project.

> What are the things I am interested in most?
> 
> I would like to take an intensive training.

> Aside from the core functions I would like to learn more about 
> integrations as this is what we are trying to do at Hostsharing at the 
> moment. This could cover small things like automated business graphics 
> with different tools to printing from TEI-XML to setup a single source 
> publishing chain with Pandoc. The problems are in the details. ;-)

Yes, probably in the details manual ;-P
No, not this time. But bring them up in the online meetup.

> Another topic:
> 
> If we want to promote ConTeXt it would be nice to have small meetings on 
> bigger meetings like FOSDEM in Belgium or FrOSCon in Germany. (I was so 
> bold to propose a workshop at FrOSCon and alas it was accepted!) At 
> FrOSCon and FOSDEM you can get a developer room to make your own 
> programe. That would be a good place for introductory workshops.

I agree, but it’s also a matter of people, timing and other resources.
I would have joined you at FrOSCon, but was occupied. And many other 
interesting conferences I can’t afford – financially and nervally.

AFAIK other active ConTeXt users were focused on TeX conferences (and I 
don’t know who contributed talks on ConTeXt subjects besides Hans and 
Taco), and in every discussion about “promoting ConTeXt” we come to the 
conclusion that it’s not really worth the effort – like “if it’s for 
you, then you will find it”. And we want to keep our playground cosy ;)

Some of us made the experience that they couldn’t pierce through the 
prejudices of old LaTeX folks.
And well, let’s face it, the state of our documentation is still not 
very inviting. There’s a lot of it, but it’s often hard to find what you 
need, even for me, who’s not afraid of sourcecode, and ConTeXt changed a 
lot over the years.
(Yes, my book is coming along... But I’m not sure how good it solves 
beginners’ problems. And it’s only in German, of course.)

> I hope that this is of some value for you.

Thank you!

Hraban
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://context.aanhet.net
archive  : https://bitbucket.org/phg/context-mirror/commits/
wiki     : https://contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________